Knock-knock: It's the Census!

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Expect a knock on your door this weekend if you have not filled out your 2010 Census. Census day was a month ago and now enumerators will be collecting census data by foot.

The local census office has set a goal of two months to collect data, but it could take longer. Enumerators will be out as long as it takes to get the job completed.

Jim Powell, the office manager of the Lafayette district census office, said dealing with enumerators should not take residents long.

"We will have enumerators in the field, going house to house asking those residents if they will please take 10 minutes of their time to answer the questions on the census form," said Powell.

Powell said residents can identify the enumerators by a white badge they carry that bears the seal of the department of commerce and the name of the enumerator on the back. Enumerators will also carry a black canvas bag with a white rectangle that says US Census Bureau and bears the seal of the department of commerce. The seal is in blue print and there are no water marks on any side of the ID.

Powell said residents can request to see the enumerator's driver's license to make sure the name and badge match. It's expected to take less than two months for numerators to collect data from households.

"It depends on how quickly we catch people. We are required to go back to the house six times so if everybody is home the first time it will be real quick. But that won't happen, so it's a function of how quickly we can catch people then get that information back to the office and turned in to national headquarters," said Powell.

About 1100 enumerators are in the Lafayette district. That district includes Tippecanoe and 16 other counties. Enumerators in training already visited Purdue University, St. John's College and Wabash College students, to catch them before they leave for summer.

So far, 77 percent of Tippecanoe County residents have returned the Census. Ten years ago, 78 percent of residents returned it.

Powell said Indiana's return rate is currently tied for third in the nation.

It's important to remember the enumerators that are out in the field now are decennial census workers. The census does have employees that go out every year to gather statistics in surveys, and those interviews can last longer than 10 minutes. Those surveys are separate a operation. Decennial workers only need two to ten minutes of your time.

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